MACHINA Syndicate
"Building a better universe." — Syndicate Slogan The MACHINA Syndicate, more commonly referred to as the Syndicate, is an organization/Corporatocracy dedicated to the protection of the realm at all costs, and strives to fast-track the advancement of the galaxy through masterful utilization of cutting edge technology. The Syndicate also serves as a government over the hidden moon of Utopia, in which the population largely remains blissfully unaware of the lengths their leaders go to ensure that the realm of Chaos does not reign supreme. History Downfall of the Archangels The Archangels were a proud race of extremely advanced warriors that prided themselves as intergalactic peacekeepers for millions of years. Their leader, the Seraph, was an near-immortal being with immense power, enough to destroy fleets of warships with a simple wave of his hand. The Archangels had been locked in a tedious struggle with the forces of Chaos, a hellish realm that exists outside of the known universe, after a maddened cultist opened up a portal using ancient texts he discovered deep in the caverns of his home planet. This "living" realm would consume entire planets, dragging them out of reality into its own, as well as corrupt the weak-minded with false promises of power. After millennia of fighting, the Archangels slowly rebuffed the advancement of Chaos, until they arrived at the world in which the portal was opened. It was here that the last Chaos Lord, a General over the demonic armies, sought to make a final stand. Unable to shut this gateway, the Seraph cased the planet within a pocket-dimension, preventing the escape of the foul demon which resided there. For thousands of years, the Archangels continued to guard this planet with its own designated fleet comprised of numerous ships, some hundreds of miles long and brimming with cataclysmic weaponry. Those who had fought in the gruesome war grew old and died, replaced with their sons and grandsons. This cycle would continue until nobody but the Seraph remained from the ancient conflict, with it only existing as part of their long history. Still, the planet remained heavily guarded, and no Archangel dared to dispute the wisdom of their leader. Eventually, however, one began to question the actions of the Seraph. This Archangel, the Commander of the fleet stationed at the portal, doubted the decisions that were made. He believed that his people were meant for greatness, that they should take their rightful place atop the known universe, yet they chose to instead divert so many resources to a dead planet in the far reaches of the realm. He pondered the "strength" of the supposed Chaos Lord trapped on this world, or if the stories he heard growing up were simply fabrications created by the Seraph to retain his position. The Archangel, unbeknownst to the rest of his fleet, took a shuttle to the surface of the desolate wasteland in search for answers. There, he traveled to the depths of the planet, eventually coming face to face with a very weakened demon. In a desperate attempt for freedom, the Chaos Lord enticed the Archangel with promises of power and immortality as the new Seraph, in exchange for the removal of the planet from its pocket dimension and freedom for the Lord to return back to his realm. Feeling confident in his ability to vanquish this supposed "threat" as the new Seraph, the traitor offered his blood. However, the Lord would require more than the Archangel's own essence. In his weakened state, he could only grant the power necessary to defeat the Seraph in exchange for the sacrifice of the Angel's deepest love, his newborn son. Reluctantly, the Commander returned back to his home to carry out his task. As the life seeped from his child, he felt his own power grow immensely. Unwilling to let this sacrifice be in vain, he appeared before the Seraph to challenge him. The Seraph mortally wounded the Archangel, but took pity at the last second and hesitated to kill his corrupted ally. Using this to his advantage, the Commander was able to land a killing blow on the Seraph. Dying and feeling his newfound strength dissipate, he watched helplessly as the Chaos Lord rose from a pool of his own blood, now free of the Seraph's entrapment. The demon granted the Archangel the eternal life he desired so deeply, before placing him into an deep slumber and encasing him in a hellish tomb that the Lord then discarded to the cosmos, forcing the wretched traitor to live in near-endless torment due to his actions for over a billion years. After some time, this tomb would come crashing down onto an extremely large moon orbiting a massive gas giant, rich with both resources and warfare. The shamed Angel awoke from his sleep, the tomb having shattered from the impact, finding himself among a population of humans consumed with bloody conflict. Immediately, he began to formulate his revenge against the Realm that betrayed him and slaughtered his people, vowing to atone for his actions. Unification of the Utopians It did not take long for the newly self-proclaimed Seraph to establish dominance over the humans. The first tribe to make contact with the disgraced Commander found themselves effortlessly swept aside, their projectiles vaporizing as they came into contact with his advanced shielding. Realizing that they fought a hopeless cause, the tribe's leaders swore fealty to the Archangel. This process continued as the alien made his way around the sizable moon in the following years, unrelenting in his goal of domination. When it became clear that all chance of rebellion had been squashed, the Seraph declared the official unification of the inhabitants, naming the moon "Utopia" as a testament to assured peace in the future. However, the traitor came to realize that he would be unable to govern and lead the people if he wished to dedicate his full attention to the inevitable arrival of the armies of Chaos, and chose a human to represent his jurisdiction for the foreseeable future. This human was dubbed the "Hand of the Seraph", and was recognized as the ultimate authority in all matters relating to the progression of Utopian society. Once the human proved no longer viable, the Seraph would send for a predetermined replacement, someone that the Archangel believed would serve his interests and nothing more. The maddened being, wishing for complete isolation from the civilization being constructed around him, took refuge on a small, frozen tundra, deep within the far reaches of the moon. It was here that he raised his temple, a structure that was practically impenetrable without explicit permission from the one who dwelt within, his only contact being with the designated Hand. For the next 1,300 years the Utopians would live in peace as they made extreme strides in the advancement of their technology, attributing their success to the wise angel who fell from the heavens, completely unaware of his dark past. Formation of the Syndicate There came a time when it became abundantly clear to the Utopians that the moon would need a stabilizing force to confirm continued peace, and as a result the Hand declared the official formation of the "MACHINA Syndicate", a corporation and government hybrid that would guarantee further order and economic stability. Named in tribute to the unification that the Seraph preceded over in the past and his subsequent gifts that followed, the Hand would go on to announce himself as the first "President of the Syndicate", ensuring the people that their savior would continue to have a significant role in the future of Utopia. As a token of good will, the Seraph presented the President with an energy cell containing the same power that coursed through his armor, aptly naming it "Sanctus Energy". After processing it, the Syndicate was able to use Sanctus Energy for a large variety of tasks, most notably as an extremely clean and efficient fuel source. This allowed the Syndicate to take hold of the vast majority of markets, enabling them to ensure the economy would remain untouched by grievances, as well as crush any chance for malicious manipulation of goods or services. This energy was also utilized by the Syndicate's military and planetary police forces in various weapons, vehicles, and some combat armor. Shielding, while incredibly strong, was typically quite difficult to utilize at max capability due to the vast amounts of power that went into creating it from even the smallest generators. As a result, shield generators had to be built in disproportionately small sizes, with Syndicate fighters utilizing one no bigger than an infant's closed fist. Despite this, they still employ some of the strongest shielding found among spacecraft of comparable size. Some ground vehicles and personnel also made use of shields, but this was a rare sight, as it is believed that conflict in space makes the combatants far more vulnerable than those fighting on the surface. While Sanctus Energy has a vast, untapped potential, current Syndicate technology inhibits full effectiveness of its capabilities. The various equipment that utilizes it can only output so much power at a time, resulting in some properties taking up more energy than others, such as shielding or armament strength. MACHINA Syndicate The Syndicate would continue to be a unifying force for the planet as they began to expand outward towards the stars, establishing the first military outpost on the resource-rich planet of Portum in a nearby solar system. Technology progressed, and the Syndicate unveiled their most revolutionary invention to date: a supermassive cloaking generator, capable of concealing the entire moon. Using this generator, the Syndicate was able to effectively conceal the entire moon from any threats that might disrupt the peace, making it virtually untraceable. Then, something absolutely miraculous occurred. After almost 1,400 years of isolation, the Seraph presented himself in front of the Syndicate's Board of Directors, demanding an immediate broadcast to all of Utopia. In front of over 6 billion Utopians, he bore witness to his race's tragic fate at the hands of Chaos, detailing the horrifying slaughter that they were completely unprepared for due to the ineptitude of their leader. However, he vowed that he would not fall under such neglectfulness, and swore to preserve his people no matter the cost. He admitted that defense against such a force of horror will be nigh impossible without a unified galaxy, and as such they would need to rally all beings to their noble cause. Spurred by his words, millions flocked to join the Syndicate's forces, attending specialized education facilities where they mastered their professions. Many would go on to become Agents, elite shocktroopers that are ferociously loyal to the Seraph and Syndicate. Some Agents are selected to receive additional tuition for a further 2-4 years to serve as a commissioned officer or a specialized trooper. The most intellectually adept attendees from across the globe were recruited to become Architects, unparalleled scientists and researchers. The Architects have willingly abandoned their organic bodies, electing instead to share a collection of synthetic frameworks that secure their survival if they were to ever succumb to any harm, guaranteeing that the Syndicate will be able to maintain a steady leadership for centuries to come. It came to the attention of the Architects that many worlds may reject the call for aid from the Syndicate, becoming a detriment to the grand design that the Seraph had laid out before them. These populations were to be declared "liabilities" and subsequently forced into submission through the usage of the NEXUS Combine or any other method deemed necessary. Due to an insufficient lack of manpower within the Syndicate to properly regulate the realm and its inhabitants, the Combine is an ingenious method of creating submissive cybernetic warriors from those who oppose the Syndicate's offer. Dubbed "Transfers", they are used as front-line soldiers for the purposes of galactic security and promotion of the Syndicate's policies. However, they are most effectively utilized in fleet engagements, where typically each fighter deployed by the Syndicate is manned by a Transfer. As a result, they maximize the effectiveness of the spacecraft, which are often exploited as relentless canon fodder. Each Transfer is connected to an "intelligent" centralized mainframe, known as the NEXUS, that monitors and influences their actions and decision-making. For protection purposes, this mainframe is located in heavily restricted territory on Utopia, miles below the surface of the moon. While the Utopians are aware of the existence of this program, the full nature of the enslavement and genocidal campaigns laid out by their leadership remain shrouded, and the unshakable faith that the Syndicate has in the Seraph allows them to carry out these tasks without a second thought. With this ever-growing military at his side, the disgraced Archangel is confident in his ability to mount a successful extermination of his wretched enemy. Society and Culture With so much of the economy and goods being managed by the Syndicate, Utopian society experiences very little class divide, and as a result poverty is virtually non-existent. Many checks and balances are put into place to ensure that everyone contributes their fair share of taxes, resulting in well-managed infrastructure spanning the globe. In order to safeguard Utopia from the grievances of overpopulation, all citizens are administered reproduction inhibitors through an implant in their arm upon reaching the age of 10, which remain there for the rest of their lives. If anyone wishes to reproduce, citizens may take a government regulated examination once they reach the age of 25 to determine their aptitude and promise as a potential parent. This examination may only be issued to someone a maximum of four times, regardless of the results. Any attempt to circumvent this process is met with incarceration for a minimum of five years. It is extremely popular among Utopians to undertake in what is referred to as "baby designing", where parents may have the option of determining a few of their child's basic characteristics, such as hair and eye color. For the older populace, body modifications through the usage of technology has also taken hold, commonly seen as a sign of class and wealth. One of the more favored alterations is known as "Angel Eyes", which allows the person to have a far sharper and greater field of vision than their peers, with some able to read words off a page of a book from over 50 feet away. Despite their willingness to make "adjustments", many Utopians embrace the natural order of the universe, with death just seen as another stage in life, rarely giving reason to mourn. This same acceptance causes them to view Chaos as unnatural and foul, seeing as it comes from another reality to take from their own. As such, the vast majority view any precautions taken by the Syndicate to prepare for this wretched enemy as necessary for the greater good. Religion Architecture and Infrastructure Syndicate Military Technology and Strategies "GLORIOUS SALVATION!" — Popular Syndicate Battle Cry With over 20 million Agents and 100 million Transfers at their disposal, the Syndicate is quite a force to be reckoned with, and their aggressive loyalty to the Seraph only serves to make them that much more resilient. Agent Agents are the Syndicate's elite shocktroopers that are ferociously loyal to the Seraph. Some Agents are selected to receive additional tuition for a further 2-4 years to serve as a commissioned officer or a specialized trooper. They are often deployed in groups consisting of other Agents, although some are assigned to lead squads of Transfers in battle. Due to the amount of preparation the Syndicate puts into each Agent, they are all outfitted with extremely efficient body armor and heavily discouraged from engaging in what is considered to be "suicidal tasks" such as piloting fighters during combat scenarios. Harpy This agile fighter is utilized by the MACHINA Syndicate for the purpose of overwhelming the enemy and operating as cannon fodder to draw attention away from capital ships. Almost always flown by Syndicate Transfers, they are hardly deployed with the intention of coming out unscathed. While the design is Utopian in origin, its manufacturing is often outsourced to Calexian Industries for quick and cheap production. Once completed, they are shipped en masse back to the Syndicate and outfitted with shielding and other various essentials that utilize Sanctus Energy. As a result, the Syndicate is able to build more Harpies faster than they can lose them in the midst of battle. Category:Factions Category:All